it's a tuesday evening here in japan. i'm james tengan in tokyo. welcome to this hour's nuclear. the operator of a nuclear power plant in southwestern japan has brought one of its reactors back squlon line. it's the first time in nearly two years that any reactor in the country is up and running. the restart has done little to dampen the debate over the role of nuclear power. nhk world's mitts sue koe nishikawa has more. >> reporter: japanese officials

put new regulations in place following the crisis at fukushima daiichi in 2011. the number one reactor at sendai plant in kagoshima is the first to come online under the requirements. but many people are opposed to the restart. some of them held a rally to voice their concerns. >> translator: i'm worried this will rush other restarts to stop the concerns over the nuclear accident at fukushima. >> reporter: others are showing support. they believe restarting the plant is the only way to revitalize the local economy. >> translator: i've seen many shops around here go out of business. i hope they will open up again. >> reporter: the disaster in fukushima forced japan to rely

on other sources of energy. by may 2012 all of japan's 54 reactors were offline. some plant operators decided to scrap older facilities, including the ones at fukushima daiichi. that leaves a total of 43 reactors in japan, and sendai is the only one in operation. at fukushima daiichi, water passed over the reactor core and was turned into steam to power a turbine. that posed the risk of contaminated water being discharged outside the plant. but the reactors at sendai use a different system. contaminated water does not flow directly to the turbine. it stays within a container. experts say this poses less risk to the environment. under the new regulations, plant operators are required to take measures to deal with severe

accidents. they must draw up emergency scenarios for bigger earthquakes and tsunamis. government regulators check the plants, and two reactors in the sevndai plant passed the screenings. some people say the requirements aren't enough to guarantee the safety of local residents. municipalities within 30 kilometers of the plant were required to draft evacuation plans, but they haven't had the time to adapt them. some roads are too narrow with no room for people to evacuate on foot. kagoshima prefecture has begun widening roads, but officials say the work could take as long as eight years to complete. despite these concerns, japanese officials have stressed their determination to bring more nuclear plants back online. >> translator: we have gotten cabinet approval to promote the

restart of nuclear reactors. if we can confirm that the nuclear facilities have passed inspections under the world's strictest levels of regulations. >> reporter: japanese leaders say they'll continue making an effort to win the people's understanding. mitsuko nishikawa, nhk world. >> thank you. officials at the power company are expecting the restart to contribute to the energy supply starting next month. the number one reactor is capable of providing about 5% of peak power consumption in summer. prior to nuclear disaster, the company depended on nuclear energy for about 40% of the power it generates. officials say they're currently meeting demand by running thermal plants at full capacity, but they say operations have

been halted frequently due to a range of problems with the ageing facilities. the largest fisherman's organization says it's ready to allow decontaminated underground water from the fukushima daiichi plant to be discharged into the ocean if certain conditions are met. the discharges are meant to slow down the accumulation of water at the crippled facility. the association reached this decision on tuesday after a cooperative in the city of iwaki gave its conditional agreement. the group handed a list of requests to officials from the central government and tokyo electric power company. they include observing strict operational standards and monitoring by a third party. they also asked that compensation be paid for rumors that could impact fishing in the area. tokyo electric power company plans to decontaminate ground water pumped from wells near the reactor buildings and then release it into the ocean.

the plan was suspended in february after tepco was found to have failed to disclose leaks of contaminated r ed rainwater the ocean. the chairman of the fisheries federation said allowing water discharges was a very difficult decision, but he said measures to deal with contaminated water are necessary. >> translator: now we'll be waiting for a response to our requests. >> a senior tepco official thanked the fisheries federation. he said the company hoping to respond quickly. officials from the international olympic committee are in rio de janeiro to check the state of progress ahead of next year's games. it's their ninth visit to the host city. the officials were briefed by local organizers of the 2016 olympics and paralympics on infrastructure and test events. the chair of the ioc's

coordination commission expressed confidence in the preparation work but said a lot still needs to be done. >> it comes during a period where your team are experiencing what it means to deliver an event. at times during which they are facing lots of questions, dealing with lots of challenge, and learning lots of important lessons for the olympic games. >> the officials return home wednesday. among the issues they're keen to discuss is heavy pollution in the bay, where sailing events will be held. china's central bank has devalued the country's currency by nearly 2%. the move is believed to be a reaction to declining exports and poor economic data stemming from a stronger yuan. the people's bank of china manages the exchange rate through a midpoint or reference rate. the yun is allowed to rise or fall up to 2% on any given day.

policymakers said on tuesday they have changed the reference rate to 6.2298 yuan per dollar, weakening the currency by a record 1.86%. the action apparently aims to support the manufacturing sector and boost the slowing domestic economy. bank officials say they will now use the previous day's closing rate against the dollar to calculate the reference rate and better reflect market conditions. one analyst says he sees the bank's move as a first step toward liberalizing china's exchange rate system. he says if it is seen as an attempt to induce depreciation, the move will likely heighten criticism in the u.s. where the yuan is already viewed as undervalued. japanese investors have a mixed reaction to the yuan devaluation. our business reporter at the tokyo stock exchange has the details. how are investors taking the action by china's central bank?

>> hello. there are different views among market players after that surprise move by the people's bank of china. some are worried that the cheaper chinese one could trigger a domino effect in strengthening the japanese yen, while others say this is a good sign to boost the ailing chinese economy. with all these uncertainties in the future, investors reacted fast. let's go through the moves for this tuesday, august 11th. earlier this month, tokyo stocks jumped to the year's high with the nikkei hitting almost its highest point in 18 years, but the profit taking erased those gains. the nikkei closed down 0.4%. the topix briefly touched 1,700 for the first time this year but then turned lower, closing at 1,687. if it wasn't for the move in china's stocks, probably would have closed at the highest level of the year. profit taking were seen in food makers and tourism related stocks. for example, meiji holdings down

4.5%. isetan down 3.75%. meanwhile, japanese firms with extensive ties to china showed reaction. daikin showed a loss. industrial robot maker fanuc lost 0.35%. on the slip side, steel makers road, like jfe, in hopes of a new stimulus in china, which is a major steel importer. komatsu up 1.85%. if we didn't see that knee-jerk profit taking, we might have seen a multimonth or multiyear high. let's see how things cool down tomorrow. back to you. now, trading in china was volatile after the yuan devaluation. the shanghai composite closed

almost flat at 3,927. export-related shares were up, but importers and major airline companies were sold as a weaker yuan means lower profits for them. some investors took profits from yesterday's surge. hong kong reversed earlier gains and landed in the negative. the hang seng index slid 0.09% on uncertainty about the chinese economy. the chinese central bank move affected other markets in the region as well. indonesia dropped 2.66%. seoul's cospi fell to a five-month low at the close. sydney was 0.65% lower, dragged down by banking shares. the al qaeda linked militant group nusra front says it will withdraw from northern syria where it has been fighting

islamic state militants. the sunni group made the announcement in an online statement. the statement says the move is to avoid giving an advantage to the u.s.-led coalition and turkey, which are conducting air strikes on islamic state. observers say nusra wants to focus on its long-time goal of toppling president bashar al asaid's government. forces loyal to assad and kurdish forces are entangled in fighting. the nusra front is designated a terrorist group by the u.s. government. its members have detained foreign nationals as well as syrian rebels trained by the u.s. to fight against the islamic state group. the u.s. state department has expressed deep concern over cuba's recent detex of about 90 dissidents during a demonstration in havana. the dissidents were reportedly detained during a human rights rally on sunday.

the incident comes ahead of a visit by u.s. secretary of state john kerry on friday. kerry will attend a ceremony to raise the stars and stripes at america's reopened embassy. diplomatic ties were restored last month after a break of 54 years. >> the united states will continue to advocate for the rights to peaceful assembly, association, and freedom of expression and religion. and we're going to continue to voice our support for improved human rights conditions and democratic reforms in cuba. >> republican lawmakers in washington say normalizing ties may leave human rights issues unaddressed in cuba. kerry is expected to urge havana to promote democratic reforms. many unwanted dogs and cats in japan are euthanized. officials say 130,000 were put down in 2013 alone. one abandoned dog escaped that fate. he joined a japanese rescue team

that went to nepal after the earthquake in april. nhk world's aiya hamashima reports. >> reporter: the 5-year-old is a search and rescue dog. he went to nepal has a member of the rescue team from a nonprofit organization peace wins japan. the group has been conducting humanitarian relief activities at home and abroad for the past 20 years. his mission lasted five days. his team picked through the rubble looking for survivors. he didn't find anyone, but his contribution was gratefully received. the japanese dog even appeared in a local newspaper. he lives at a facility in hiroshima, western japan. he has his own story of survival. he was still a puppy when

someone abandoned him to his fate. he ended up at a local animal shelter. members here rescued him just before he was about to be put down. the group's staff came across him five years ago. one of the group's missions is to save abandoned dogs. on that day, they were looking for a candidate for their first search and rescue dog. just hours before they arrived at shelter, he was given a last-minute reprieve. the staff decided he had a lucky streak and asked to adopt him. at first he was easily frightened and wary of humans. he was also scared of dark, narrow spaces, a major hurdle for a rescue dog. but his trainers weren't going to give up on the new recruit.

they named him using the japanese word for dream. slowly, he overcame his fears and phobias, and most important of all, he started trusting people. after three years of training, he took part in his first rescue. it happened to be in his own backyard. he joined the emergency teams rushing to free trapped residents. media reports of his contribution moved people across japan. they wanted to know more. a publisher responded with a children's book telling his story. his trainer walked with him in nepal. he says he's impressed at how his partner stays focused in difficult conditions.

>> translator: we had to work after a long flight at a place we weren't familiar with and struggled with the mix of strong smells, so it must have been very tough for him, but he concentrated on the search and has done a great job. >> reporter: he's a mixed breed. rescue teams usually select pure-bred dogs like golden retrievers or collies for this job. but trainers say character is more important than breed. they're now training another dog to work alongside him. officials say 130,000 dogs and cats were destroyed across japan in 2013. the npo staff hope their efforts can reduce this number. >> translator: the way he took part in the search almost looked

as if he represented the countless animals that have been destroyed. i hope that his efforts to save lives will make many people aware of the problem, the cruelty of destroying animimalsn japan. i also want people to realize how precious life is and realize that he could have been one of those dead animals, but he's been saved and represents a bright hope. >> reporter: rescue workers train constantly to improve their skills, and he's no exception. having had a close call himself, this dog is determined to save lives. aya hamashima, nhk world. >> thanks very much, aya. let's hope he can change the tide and awareness on this issue. he returns today, tuesday, from another mission in taiwan. he went there last week to help

look for survivors of typhoon soudelor. a writer from sweden is on a mission to help hiroshima's atomic bomb survivors share their stories with the world. she returned to japan this year to continue recording the legacy of the devastation unleashed on the city. nhk world's eniko lennart has the story. >> reporter: monica is back in hiroshima for the first time in ten years. it's a chance for her to catch up with a long-time friend and check on how she and others have been doing. hiroshima and the world changed on august 6th, 1945.

she has been writing about atomic bomb survivors for 40 years. she's come back to japan to find out more about the ongoing aftermath of 1945. >> i want to have plenty of time to look around and to get the feeling. you know, it's not -- it's not quite easy to get the feeling because hiroshima has grown. it has changed very much. >> reporter: braw has asked an old friend for help. keiko is one of the few survivors with good english skills. braw wanted to speak with children of survivors to hear how the bombing affected their lives. this man was born in 1946, a

year after the bombing. he says he and many of his friends had trouble finding jobs and spouses. >> did you ever experience any discrimination? >> reporter: a lack of information about the effects of radiation led to discrimination. braw wanted to see how young people from other countries would react to the stories of survivors. she went to a seminary where ogura described her experiences on that fateful day. high school and university students from six countries

listened closely. >> america. brazil. two brazils. hi. america. hi. >> reporter: ogura was 80 years old when the bomb was dropped in hiroshima. she was near her home about 2 1/2 kilometers from ground zero. >> buildings were just pressed down as if a giant step on the city. >> reporter: braw watched as the students heard for the first time a person who was in hiroshima describe a moment long before they were born. >> me having met someone who lived through it and hearing more details and just life

stories. >> like she suggested, educating people on what happened and making sure they remember so it doesn't happen again. >> reporter: during her week-long stay in hiroshima, braw realized that the legacy of the atomic bombing is far from over. as the number of survivors dwindl dwindles, she feels a greater need to make sure their voices are heard. >> i think that the testimony of the survivors, that's very important to listen to because i think that nowadays when we think of nuclear weapons, we tend to think of them as strategically important or unimportant. but to really understand what they mean, we have to listen to what it means when they are

thrown on people, what happens on the ground. >> we wish monica and all involved the best. "newsline" comes to you from tokyo, where it was hot and dry today, but the situation was far different way up north, as sayaka mori tells us. >> yes, james. drenching rains are affecting many parts of hokkaido. clouds are emerging over the island. typically hokkaido doesn't have the rainy season during this time of year, but this year is something unusual. heavy rain has been causing flooding across this area and at least into thursday more rain is expected. further down towards the south, there is a tropical storm named moyave. that's moving away from mainland japan, but thundershowers and high waves are expected to occur over the next couple days. typhoon soudelor made landfall

in mainland china over the weekend. it has been downgraded to a tropical depression, but it's still packing lots of moisture. it has dump about 320 millimeters of rain in just 24 hours. more rain is expected across south korea as well as western japan as we go into the next couple of days. take a look at this. seoul turning wet on thursday with a high of 31 degrees and turning wet in osaka on thursday. tokyo will see rain coming down on friday. now, let's go to the central pacific. we are looking at a system over the waters. this is helga, a hurricane, category 1, system. it will likely weaken to a tropical storm and could hit the big island on thursday or friday local time. very heavy rainfall and high waves are expected. rain will likely start on wednesday across this island. now, let's go to mainland u.s. we're looking at heavy rain across the western areas. we have some fixtures coming out

of several places of the u.s. severe thunderstorms caused floods that damaged parts of the western u.s. monday. in missoula, montana, rain and hail impacted the region. strong winds also blew trees over on top of cars and houses. that caused concrete sidewalks to fall apart. a power line that was knocked over also started a grass fire. meanwhile in colorado, heavy rainfall caused flooding in a downtown area. unstable weather will likely continue in the west. a line of thundershowers moving to the eastern seaboard of the united states. heavy rain is expected and strong winds as well. temperatures are going to be in the 30s across the southeast. very hot conditions across houston. 38 degrees on tuesday. here's the extended forecast.

and that wraps up this edition of "newsline." for all of us here on the show, thanks for watching. >8e;

and it i'm annette young. let's look at what is going on this hour. define his minister says there are a few minor details to be sorted out with the greek debt talks. japan restarts its first nuclear reactor under new rules following the 2011 fukushima disaster. tensions remain high in the u.s. town of ferguson as a state of emergency is declared. police have made numerous arrests. protests continue to mark the first anniversary of the killing of michael brown.